Monday, June 3, 2013

[gita-talk] Who is Arjuna in the Gita - Need Clarification !

Everything is appearing jumbled up.

On one hand Swamiji says - "We must not even keep a resolve" then on the other hand he says "in doing we must be careful"

In Gita too on one hand Krishna says "Karmanyevaadhikaaraste..." (2/47), "Your right is to work only,"(2/47) , then on the other hand he says "Na karoti na lipyate...." "it neither acts nor gets tainted."

Swamiji says "doing is also karma, and not doing is also karma" I understand this, however, when the "self" does not do is it the experiencer, then who does Krishna say to that "your right is only in doing your duty (karma)? In other words, in Gita who is this Arjuna? (spirit or the body).

In pictures everywhere, you only see his body listening to the instructions from the Gita.

Every thing gets jumbled up because we do not look at the messages carefully. What Krishna says is that none can be without work. The inherent gunas and the environment will force each entity to work most natural for each. There is no way to avoid work: inaction is impossible. He says next the outcome from work/ action does not depend only on the work or the action for any action is done in a background, a context and under circumstances that consists of actions of so many entities and elements in the environment of a person. So, he says, to worry about the consequences or results of work or action, though natural amon human beings, is pointless. Third, He says that given the above the only way to deal with the dilemmas of choosing actions is not to worry about consequences but do what one is inclined to do as per one's own natural property (dharma) in the context of the emerging environment. Since, a Kshatrya has only one property inherent in him in the emerging situation of War - that of fighting as best as he can, Arjun should fight and not waste time and energy worrying about the consequences of fighting. It is best to submit all worries to God by submitting all actions to God and remove the ego that one is really deciding to dio and really act on his own. The belief should be that whatever one does is what God has willed through the natural system of imparting gunas (properties, attributes and inclinations) to each person. That is the best way of perfrominh work: Karmo Yoga.

It is so simple and so bluntly true. There is no scope for confusion except the natural human property or guna to get confused as did Arjuna find.

Basudeb Sen

---------------------------------------------------------

Here is an excerpt from Sringeri Jagadguru's Bhashan ...

The Jagadguru said that Srimad Bhagavad Gita that carries the essence of the Upanishads, was given by the Lord using Arjuna as an instrument. That is why it is said:

Here, Arjuna is compared to a calf that drinks the milk of Gita from the cow of the Upanishads, with Bhagavan Sri Krishna being the milker. Arjuna is called the calf because the calf is the first to get milk from its mother. Subsequently, the cow gives milk to everyone else. Similarly, every Astika is capable of savouring the milk that is nectar of the Gita.

You are not distinguishing between "PURE SELF" ( AATMA) and "JEEVA" ( embodied soul) properly. In interpretation and understanding of Gita, the distinction between Pure Self and Jeeva should always be kept in mind. "In doing one must be careful" - this statement is with reference to Jeeva ! "NA KAROTI NA LIPYATE" is with reference to PURE SELF.

There is no conflict also between " we must not even keep a resolve" and BG 2:47 ! " Resolve" here means KAAMNA ( sankalpa). You can do Karma without KAAMANA also.

Yes....! Inspite of Self being fundamentally not doer, since he has accepted affinity with body, he suffers the experiences. Actually, self has no capacity to do. It has only one capability: To accept or to reject ( other words frequently used in Scriptures: to connect/disconnect; to associate/ disassociate; to adopt/ renounce etc). Self has power of "acceptance". Experience comes to him as effortless result of utilisation of power of "acceptance/rejection" by him. Self has a permanent guide....VIVEKA. Self can heed to its voice and take a call by rejecting false acceptance, or by correctly accepting the truth. ( It is another matter THT Jeeva frequently disregards VIVEKA and relies upon mind/ intellect which are false...and thereby suffers, suffers and...suffers). So long as, Self does not correctly utilise his power to accept/reject, sorrowful or delightful experiences will continue to become part of his direct experiences because it is a law: Experience follows acceptance. World appears to you as you have accepted it to be. God also approaches you, exactly as you have approached Him. Hence it is a law. You become BHOKTA, if you assume yourself to be KARTA...naturally and automatically.

JUST AS: While two cars , made of steel ( inert) collide with each other, causing an accident on the road, they do not get punished by law. Punishment is given to the Drivers ( sentient) of the cars, because they formed affinity with the cars.

SIMILARLY: While bad actions are done by the body ( inert) , the consequential experiences of sorrows accrue to Self ( sentient). Self experiences then the sorrows, because Self formed affinity with body ( accepted the body to be me/mine).

In bhaarata and Gita Arjuna "represents" a human being who is by nature in Dvividha or Dilemma. Using Arjuna as an example (nimitta maatra) Bhagavad gita elucidates how a human ought to live particularly in utilizing his talent and duty. KarmaNi eva adhikaaraste means your duty is to act. That action shd be done as duty and not for enjoyment of the fruit. Fight as it is your duty to resist evil rule of Kauravas but not think of the royal comforts that accrue to you as a result of the fight. Bheeshma and others are decent peopl, no doubt but they have been bitten by a false sense of fidelity and hence they are dharma chyuta. The dharma champion shd not grieve for them. In fact they are dead as soon as they sided with adharma.

I am afraid I do not know what swamiji said in this context.

This is mt answer to "who is arjuna in Gita?"

Samudrala Krishna

----------------------------------------------------------------

Oh !Honourable SadhakSiyarammaya Sabjag Jani Karahun Pranam Jodi Jug Pani !I know Nothing and I had been Inspired by U too.But I Think U are not asking but only making us to think about Shastra.Now I am coveted to write Some thing.There is nothing Jumbled up.we have nothing to resolve if there seemed resolved or headed to do something then there is necessasary to be Cautious(SABDHAN).The body does not stay without doing somethimg but we need not worry about it because if we are not joined with doing or undoing something then only the Nature(PRAKRUTI) is Doer(Karta) and then we are not credited of it.when we do nothing or think nothing then automatically we are merged or engrossed in God Parmatma but if we can not stay without thinking or doing something then it is necessary to think about god and do the work of god-That is all.There are some Compulsory action Like Nittya Karma and Naimittik Karma-In my opinion (I do not know-How far I am Right) Only the duty of ours is to be ready for Gods work-Whether the cercumstance may complete it or not.I am Nepali and can not Express in Good English and all the criticism on my Knowledge concerning to English Knowledge and Scriptural Knowledge are Welcome ! Please Accept my Bow to your Lotus feet !Basudev

You are not distinguishing between "PURE SELF" ( AATMA) and "JEEVA" ( embodied soul) properly. In interpretation and understanding of Gita, the distinction between Pure Self and Jeeva should always be kept in mind. "In doing one must be careful" - this statement is with reference to Jeeva ! "NA KAROTI NA LIPYATE" is with reference to PURE SELF.